CSS For Dummies

[Cabby]

Cabby here again. So I have a blank white page in a pristine and unpublished
website. I have a CSS design script I want to use.

How do I get started.

Is there a good, easy to understand for dummies, free, web tutorial or
informational article that you can point me to?

Or you could hold my hand, step by step. ;-)

 

[Murray]

A good way to get started would be to show me the CSS page. Can you do
that?

 

[Cabby]

Can do. This is the look I'm headed for, it's one of the Zen Garden samples:
Like the Sea.
http://www.csszengarden.com/?cssfile=/163/163.css&page=3

 

[Murray]

That's the stylesheet you are going to use?

I'd say that this is the wrong approach. You can't just grab a sophisticated
stylesheet from a site, and expect your page to magically look like that
page's layout.

I would take a different approach completely. Consider a pre-built template
for your site - one that comes with a fully documented stylesheet, and with
instructions on how to use it. Take a look at these two sites (they are
Dreamweaver-centric, but there's no reason why those layouts wouldn't work
for you in FP):

http://www.projectseven.com/ (look for the PagePack layouts - probably the
best documentation in the business)
http://dreamweaverresources.com/

 

[Cabby]

Truly, Murray, I'm not a wannabee magician. I know Zen Garden sites are not
templates, only guides that give the css for example. It's like I said in my
previous post, this is what I'm aiming for. (So I like gran cuvee champagne,
OK?) Plus, I'm willing to learn how to get what I envision. Isn't that the
foundation for application of ideas?

Still, I will definitely look into the sites and templates you suggested. In
addition, do you know of a good online CSS tutorial?

A new issue cropped up today with publishing. I'm off to search the forum
for this bug before I bug you guys again.

Many thanks.

 

[P@tty Ayers]

Truly, Murray, I'm not a wannabee magician. I know Zen Garden sites are
not
templates, only guides that give the css for example. It's like I said in
my
previous post, this is what I'm aiming for. (So I like gran cuvee
champagne,
OK?) Plus, I'm willing to learn how to get what I envision.

Right - I think Murray was saying, and I would agree, that the method you're
talking about isn't a good way to learn what you need to know to be able to
produce something like that layout - eventually.

It's as if I'm a beginning musician, and I want to play like a certain
master virtuoso, so I buy his CD and look for a "for dummies" lesson to show
me how to sound like that. That's just not the way to get from Point A to
Point B.

 

[Cabby]

P@tty~Your musical metaphor is excellent. But still, I'm not asking to
replicate this exact design, nor for my site to have the sophistication it
achieves. It's the LOOK that I want to aim for.

The wannabee musician might buy the CD and the Dummies book and wonder why
they don't sound like James Galway after the first session. But the serious
musician begins as a dummy, but they seek professionals (like you guys here)
to learn from, and then practice, practice, practice. That's what I'm willing
to do. I'm not looking to be a Zen Garden designer overnight. (If ever ;-) I
just want a clean, sophisticated design that synthesizes the aspects of my
business.

In my original post, I did ask if anyone could suggest a good, online
tutorial for learning CSS. Any recommendations? And many thanks.

 

[Murray]

http://www.projectseven.com/tutorials/css/qdmacfly/index.htm
http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/mx/dreamweaver/css.html
http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/dreamweaver/articles/tableless_layout_dw8.html
http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/dreamweaver/articles/css_concepts.html

Again, DW oriented, but the concepts and notions are platform agnostic.

 

[Cabby]

Thanks again, Murray. I'll check these out after tonight's movie and pizza.

 

[Murray]

No beer, though.... 8)

 

[Cabby]

No beer for me; Australian shiraz.

I downloaded Expression Web Designer on Friday. I'm getting into it and
hoping to post some results this week. EWD is to FP what Windows 3.0 did for
PCs.

 

[P@tty Ayers]

No beer for me; Australian shiraz.

I downloaded Expression Web Designer on Friday. I'm getting into it and
hoping to post some results this week. EWD is to FP what Windows 3.0 did
for
PCs.

Brought it out of the dark ages to begin to somewhat catch up with
competitors? :-D